Using Saliva for Acne Treatment is Actually a Thing, So You Can Thank Your Close-Talker Friend for Helping Clear Your Skin

Few beauty secrets seem to surprise me. I've iced pimples. I've made a smoothie and then put the remainder on my face. I use coffee grounds as an exfoliate —I thought I knew all the weird beauty secrets until I was driving in a taxi with a true skin guru who claimed spit could treat acne. Yeah. Not only did I get to my destination without having to use Google Maps for my cab driver, my cabbie was a DIY beauty connoisseur and we spent most of the ride chatting about the best ways to get rid of acne. I knew I had to try his grandfather's secret to zapping zits overnight when he told me that back in India, when he was suffering from an embarrassing bout of acne, his gramps told him to simply use his spit for acne. Poof! His zit was gone.

OK. Obviously, this was mind-blowing to me. I've always thought of spit as being filthy and loaded with bacteria, but I'm also always looking for a cheap and fast way to ditch a pimple before anyone else knows about it. When I asked him how his own saliva could possible alleviate his blemishes, he told me it was a popular acne remedy that had been used in his country for over 2000 years. Done, I thought to myself, my new stress pimple was going to get spit on first thing in the AM.

After carefully looking into saliva, I was totally surprised by the amount of research that had been done on both human and dog saliva for a variety of ailments as well as skincare. Saliva has an incredible amount of healing properties and provide immune defense, making it an ideal remedy for moderate acne cases to reap the benefits of a truly natural substance.

The question is: Why the hell is our spit so powerful?

According to the Boston Globe, saliva's antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties may have something to do with it. Not only are those key components in treating acne, but saliva is water-based while being highly acidic, and that acidity will dry out pimples fast and accelerate the healing process. Of course, not all spit is created equal: Studies in dog saliva have shown improvement of acne when applied topically. I know, CRAZINESS, but when you've tried every OTC product, home remedy, and prayer you know, is turning to your own spit to get rid of a pimple really that insane? Of course not — clear skin makes us all feel beautiful and fortunately, no one can ticket you for spitting on your own face.

Personally, I've definitely given my dog a sideways look when she's lapping up a random patch of skin. Little did I know that Sheba's saliva could possibly be a controversial way to take care of blemishes— clear skin makes us all feel beautiful.

If you don't want to wait until the next time your close-talking friend spits all over you, here's how I indulged in this old zit remedy tradition!

Your spit is at the purest form in the morning, so the first thing I did when I woke up was apply my spit directly on my pimple. I was well aware that because our saliva contains bacteria and is incredibly acidic, it could actually make my pimple worse, but for you, dear reader, I was willing to take that risk. My pimple was still under the skin and just starting out — I would be hesitant to test this method on an open pimple even though saliva is said to heal wounds just because of the bacteria factor. I left my OWN SPIT ON MY FACE for about 15 minutes, avoiding contact with my roommate, mirrors, and my integrity, then I proceeded with my morning skin routine. The next morning, I noticed my pimple dryer and smaller than it was the previous day. Perhaps, this was a placebo effect, but whatever it was, I didn't want it to ever end. I added my saliva with raw honey and nutmeg and massaged it into the rest of my face.

I can safely say, my pimple did not get worse, if anything it dried out quickly and I'm feeling blemish-free. Is the age-old spit trick worth it? For me, I say no harm, no foul!